Finding of the Uourt of Inquiry.
Finding of a Court of Inquiry, held at the Custom House, Shanghai, on the 19th of October, 1905, called at the request of the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company, to investigate the circumstances attending the loss of their s.s. Hsiehho on the 30th of September, 1905, whilst on a voyage from Chefoo to Shanghai, Present:—H. Elgar Hobson, Commissioner of Customs, President; and Lieut. K. Mackenizie-Grieve, R.N., H.M.S. Cadmus, and W. A. Carlson, Harbour Master, Assessors; A. H. Budgen, Clerk of the Court.
Weir watching the cuse on behalf of the China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company.
From the evidence heard in this case the Court finds as follow:
1—That the s. Hsiehho, of 1,898 gross and 1,082 register tons, owned by the China Merchants' Steam' Navigation Company, and commanded by Captain A. A. Crawford, left Chefoo for Shanghai about noon onthe 29th of September, 1905, with a small general cargo, and two foreign and twelve native passengers, The crew consisted of the captain, two mates, three engineers, and 35 natives. Compradore's staff uncertain, The vessel's deaft was about 7 feot forward and 11 feet aft.
2.—Thut at about 6.30 on the 80th of September, when the ship was in Latitude 35° 24" N., Longituile 122° 37" E,, in fine went hor, she struck a mine, which exploded under the forward part of the forehold, sending the spouting up through the ventilator, and bursting open the fore hatch.
3.—That the 2ud officer was in charge of the deck and the 2nd engineer of the tthe time of the explosion.
hat the ship began to sink rapidly by the, head, and finally disappeared about fifteen minutes after contact with the mine.
That the chief engineer wont into me-room immediately after the opped the engines, and eased the safety valve.
6.—That the port, after life-boat and th dingey on the port side of the after deck. wore successfully. launched, in which "beats' were' the majority of the survivors, others swimming to them or deiny: picked up by them subsequently.
7.—That the "port forward -life-boat was floated when the water renched it, but for some unexplained reason cap-sised before it-was clear of the ship.
That no' boats were swiing'out from the starboard side, though' all were cleared marder: that' they: might: float off as the shipisank.
9.—That the ship was properly found in life-buoys and life-belts, and that the boats were properly equipped, in good
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.